Dover girls glad to be in DIAA basketball tournament

By Andy Walter

DOVER — In any other winter, Dover High’s girls’ basketball season probably would have been over by now.

The Senators’ season would have ended with a .500 regular-season record after a year that had its ups and downs.

But with the DIAA making the state tournament open in this year of the pandemic, every team in the state had a shot at some redemption.

No. 28 Dover is trying to make the most of its second chance, starting off by downing 37th-seeded M.O.T. Charter, 49-27, in the opening round of the state tourney on Monday evening.

The challenge will get considerably bigger for the Senators (8-7) on Wednesday night when they head to Wilmington to face fifth-seeded Ursuline (9-4) at 6:30 p.m.

With only one senior and one junior on the roster, this is a Dover squad whose best days figure to be ahead of it. Monday’s victory was only the Senators’ second state tournament win since 2016.

“With the year that we had, just the privilege of being in the state tournament at all is amazing,” said senior captain Regan Torbert. “It (playing another game) is just an opportunity for all of us to get better and for the younger players to bond as a team.”

Dover never trailed in Monday’s game after scoring the first four points. The Mustangs (3-10), who were making the program’s first tournament appearance, did briefly tie the score at 4-4.

But Dover took the lead for good at 7-4 on a three-pointer from freshman Ashtyn Torbert. The Senators then eventually capped off a 17-0 run on a three from sophomore Myaja Bynum that left them in control, 21-4.

Dover stretched its advantage to 32-10 at halftime.

Torbert netted 12 of her game-high 13 points in the first half with Bynum scoring all eight of her points before intermission.

“It’s always exciting, as long as we play as a team and win,” said Bynum. “It (the state tourney) is a little bit of pressure but it forces me to get better and keep pushing.

“I’m so glad that we were able to make it,” she said about playing in the tournament.

While things got sloppy in the second half, M.O.T. Charter never seriously challenged the Senators’ lead. Senior Maya Rivera finished with 11 points for the Mustangs.

Heaven Hendricks added 10 points for the Senators.

As for Wednesday’s second-round matchup, Dover faced Ursuline last year, falling to the Raiders, 49-24, in the final game of the regular season. Trying to get past Ursuline in the state tournament is never an easy task.

“I think we’re going to come in, we’re going to play hard and we’re going to try to win,” said Bynum. “We have been told by everybody this year that we have the potential,” said Regan Torbert. “That potential is there but potential is not enough. At this point, we need to work as a team and that’s what’s going to get us through, especially in the second round.

“But these freshmen, I can’t wait to see what they’re going to do by the time they’re juniors and seniors,” she added. “I would do anything to play at least another year with all of them.”